Moon Of Blood
by Xennie.B
Summary: **Blood Series Future Fic** When Jack is sent to the space port to pick up a VIP from the moon colony, he never expected it to be someone he knew well.
1. Chapter 1

AN: Written as a request from a friend for the help_haiti auction to raise money for the Haiti victims.  
This is set in my Blood Series verse but a long way in the future after all things link to the Torchwood series have passed. I've also been careful not to include anything spoilery for the rest of the Blood Series that's still to come in Year of Blood or the following sequels.

**Chapter One**

* * *

The space port swarmed with people, and not all of them human. Alien life was a common sight and half the moon's colony was populated by non humans. Jack Harkness stood to one side of the arrivals lounge, watching the flow of passengers make their way through the doors.

Last time he'd been there he'd been seeing Ianto off; it hadn't been a fun occasion and he hated saying goodbye to his mate. He'd not expected to be back until it was time to pick Ianto up again, but he was and he was about as happy about it as he had been the last time.

Someone in the government had ordered him to pick up a VIP; him specifically, so he couldn't even pass the task to one of his team members. To say was irritated at the instructions was an understatement; no one had had the balls to order him around for centuries. He wasn't sure who the other had come from, only that it held the Government's seal so it was legit. But as soon as he figured out who had sent the orders, he would be having serious words with them.

He didn't even know who he was supposed to be meeting. For a while he had hoped it would be Ianto, but as the shuttle landed the fuzzy feeling through their bond - brought on by being so far away from each other - didn't change. Ianto wasn't on the shuttle; which only made his mood worse if he was being honest. The only thing he'd been told was to be there at a certain time; Jack had gotten there early and, since his arrival, two shuttles had come in and still no one had approached him.

He assumed whoever he was going to pick up knew what he looked like, or he could be standing there all day and still not find them. He was a pretty well known face on Earth; most people would recognise him, even if they couldn't remember why he looked familiar.

He was the man whose 'ancestors' introduced alien life to the world and brought Torchwood out into the public's awareness. The man whose 'ancestors' had been running Torchwood since it became public and was one of the most powerful and influential men on the planet. There were even rumours of genetic manipulation since he, his father and his grandfather all looked strangely identical.

Jack never could understand why people wouldn't believe what was right in front of them. Ianto thought it was hilarious, especially since he managed to use his 'masks and shadow' tricks from the old days to merge into the background and often go unnoticed by the public. Dexter, Arabella and the others tended to just stay out of the spotlight better than Jack did. But, being head of the Torchwood organisation meant that there was only so often he could get away with hiding - and it apparently wasn't enough.

The Government weren't that stupid, at least; they knew exactly who Jack and Ianto were. Just as they knew who the high ranking Pirask were. That was another reason why being ordered around had pissed Jack off.

Jack jumped in surprise as a delicate hand came to rest on his arm. He'd been so lost in thought that he hadn't been paying attention to the arrivals and never noticed the woman approach His eyes snapped up and he was surprised to find himself looking into a pair of achingly familiar eyes.

"Hello, Uncle Jack," she smiled softly.

"Lizzy?" Jack blurted out in surprise, "What are you doing here?" he asked, pulling his fifteen year old 'niece' into his arms. She'd grown so much since he'd last seen her. He'd been working at Christmas the year before, so he hadn't seen her for almost two years. Sure, he'd talked to her on the vid phone several times since then, but it wasn't the same.

"Can we go somewhere to talk? Please, Uncle Jack," Lizzy asked nervously.

"Of course. But I'm supposed to be meeting someone here," Jack replied, scanning the area to see that most of the crowd had gone. With dawning realisation, he turned back to stare accusingly at Lizzy.

"I hacked the system, told them I was someone else. I didn't want there to be any trace of my coming here," Lizzy said, rocking on her heels as she tried to look innocent; Jack was sure she'd learnt that from Arabella.

"I knew I'd live to regret the day Ianto and Dexter taught you how to use a computer," Jack muttered, ignoring the way her eyes lit up in pride and amusement at the compliment.

Jack eyed her for a moment. "You're fifteen, Lizzy; you shouldn't be here on your own." He could tell that something was wrong and she was trying to hide it.

"I know, Uncle Jack. I'm sorry, but it was important and I really needed to see you."

Jack sighed, glancing around at the crowded port, "Let's go. I know a nice little coffee shop we can stop at and you can tell me what the hell you're doing here."

Jack and Lizzy sat themselves down at one of the outside tables; Jack subtly activating a privacy bubble around them, knowing it was the right thing to do when Lizzy smiled at him in gratitude.

Jack watched as she sat quietly, watching her stir her hot chocolate, seemingly lost in thought. There was an sadness in her young eyes that bothered Jack; he hated that he didn't know what had caused it, and it didn't look like she was ready to tell him about it. She reminded him so much of her father; quiet and collected, always keeping her problems to herself, trying to sort them out on her own before she even considered asking someone for help.

To look at her though, she was the spitting image of her mother; long white-blonde hair and pale skin, which was kept pale by living on the moon. But it was her father's eyes that looked out at Jack from under her fringe. It was her father's personality she had taken on, which Jack was eternally grateful for; he couldn't stand her mother. Henever had and it wasn't hard to see the feeling was mutual.

When Ianto had come home from work one day and told him he'd met someone, Jack had been happy for his mate. Ianto hadn't had a relationship outside of Jack for almost a century; not since his last husband had cheated on him and run off.

Ianto had dated and worked with the woman for four years, before proposing. Then he'd introduced Jack to Cathalin and the hatred between them was instant.

Unfortunately for Jack, Ianto had already fallen for her and he wanted his mate happy, so he put up with her or simply avoided her, spending his time with Ianto when she wasn't around. With current anti-aging technology, the Pirask could stay with their human husband or wife for around twenty years, before needing to fake their death and disappear. Jack could share Ianto with a woman he hated for a mere twenty years; he would have his mate for millennias and she might have hated Jack, but she clearly loved Ianto and she treated him well.

Then the shielding project Ianto and Cathalin had both worked so hard on was transferred to the moon colony; meaning Ianto, Cathalin and five year old Lizzy had to move as well. Jack had stayed on Earth to make things easier for everyone; everyone except him. Ianto and his family could live happily without the tension that him and Cathalin being in the same area caused, and Ianto expected Jack to find himself a partner to keep him company until they could be together completely again. But he hadn't found anyone, so when Ianto moved away he found himself alone. He'd dated a few people over the years, but nothing lasted more than a few months.

Every year he'd go to the moon for Christmas, Cathalin would tolerate him on the day, then she and Lizzy would go to spend Boxing Day with her friends; all the while thinking that Ianto was at work and Jack had flown out in the morning. Jack never left until the evening and Ianto never worked, which gave them the day alone together - usually in an expensive hotel in a neighbouring colony. Ianto would fly down alone to Earth for their mating anniversary and their most recent wedding anniversary, under the pretence of work so they could be together. The rest of the time they would have to keep their relationship simmering through vid calls or brief visits, but usually Cathalin was there and they couldn't truly be together.

It wasn't enough, but it was all they could have with them having their jobs and lives on separate 'planets'. Ironically, Jack got to spend more time alone with Lizzy who had been coming to stay with him for a week every school break. Apparently, Cathalin didn't have a problem with Jack near Lizzy, only Ianto; Jack suspected he'd slipped at some point and given his feelings for Ianto away, which was why Cathalin hated him so much. She clearly saw him as a threat. Lizzy, however, had always seen him as her favourite uncle and she was more like a daughter to him than a niece.

"So, have you got somewhere to stay tonight, or did you plan to crash with me?" Jack asked when it seemed like Lizzy wasn't ready to start talking.

"I was thinking you might like some company while I was planet side," Lizzy grinned teasingly at him, glad to be away from the topic of her reason for visiting.

Jack sipped his coffee; it wasn't bad but he still missed Ianto's. "What makes you think I need company? Dana could be over tonight," Jack replied.

When Lizzy laughed, Jack was relieved to see it was genuine. "Uncle Jack, Tad bet Dexter £200 that you were 'working' over Christmas because you and Dana had broken up and you didn't want to have to tell him yet."

"Oh, he did, did he?" Jack muttered.

"Yep, and then he took us out for a nice dinner a week later."

Jack continued to sip his coffee for a minute. Of course Ianto would have figured it out; he never could hide anything from his mate. Jack glanced over the rim of his coffee mug to see Lizzy looking at him smugly; she'd gotten that look from her father too it would seem.

"You're welcome to stay with me-,"

Lizzy smirked.

"-as long as you tell me what you're doing here,"

Lizzy's smirk dropped.

Jack eyed her as she stirred her hot chocolate, once again lost in thought. "Tad's in trouble, Uncle Jack; he needs your help. He's getting careless at work and he's not sleeping, I'm worried he's going to get himself hurt. I just don't know what to do to help him."

Jack smiled at his niece; as far as she knew her father was a normal human just like her mother was. When she was a little older, Ianto would make the decision to tell her the truth about him or not. Jack had seen Ianto stubbornly get drawn into one of his projects before; he did look after himself just not to human standards. Using blood to keep him and his Rask nourished and healthy meant he needed less sleep, but Lizzy didn't know that.

"Lizzy you're still a kid, it's not up to you to look after your parents. Sometimes they just need to sort things out for themselves. Your tad's tougher and smarter than you've ever seen him," Jack began, trying to ease her worries.

"I know my tad, Uncle Jack! It's different this time since the accident; he-," Lizzy began, only to be cut off as Jack's phone rang. Jack cursed, reaching into his jacket pocket and answering the phone, he listened to the worried voice on the other end before answering and ending the call with a frustrated growl.

"Damnit! I'm so sorry, Lizzy; I've got to go," Jack said as he stood and slipped the house keys into her hands. Leaning over he pressed a kiss to her forehead, "I'll bring home something for dinner tonight, and I promise I'll call your tad; but I'm sure he'll be fine. He's got your mum to take care of him, after all."

Lizzy stared after Jack as he ran off down the road, his coat swirling around him. Sad and confused tears clouding her eyes as she watched him go. "How can you not know? I sent you the letter can you not know that Mam's dead?" she whispered to herself.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

* * *

"Commander Davies!" came a bellow from down the hall, dragging his attention away from his work. He was almost finished with the new equations, and then they could test it out.

"What?" Ianto growled in annoyance, looking up to see one of the junior scientists looking anxiously at him, clipboard in hand.

"Commander Davies, we've picked up an irregularity in the shield. We need to run a full diagnostic before we can do any further," he said, turning his clipboard around so that the Commander could see the results for himself.

"We don't have time. The deadline is in two days; if we don't get this finished then we lose our funding and I won't let her dreams fail," he replied, glancing uninterestedly at the clipboard. He didn't care what they said, he was going to finish it; it was what she had worked so hard for and he would do it for her.

"But, Commander, it's too dangerous…"

"Trixi, Just how dangerous could it be?" Ianto asked, looking one of his two senior staff. She was standing behind Max, the other senior member, as they studied some readings on Max's monitor.

"I wouldn't recommend it. We've got a 50/50 chance of it either working, or blowing up in our faces."

"But we could test it if we wanted to?" Ianto asked impatiently.

"We could, but we'll be better off waiting and making the final adjustments," Max said, siding with Trixi. Ianto noticed the junior slip away, not wanting to be involved if an argument started between her superiors; not that it would. Max and Trixi had been working on this project with Ianto and Cathalin since the beginning when they'd started on Earth, and as a result they were quite close.

"I'd rather test it now; that way if it works we don't have to worry about the next set of adjustments," Ianto said, walking over to them, moving behind Max so he could lean down and see the screen for himself.

"We haven't got the remote trigger set yet; there's no way to turn it on without someone being in there and that's dangerous," Trixi explained. As much as she loved Ianto, she was worried about his drive to complete the project; she was worried it was going to get him hurt.

"We've turned in on manually before," Ianto shrugged, though he knew damned well it wasn't the same as the tests they'd done in the past.

"Not for a test this far into the project's progress, and not with this much power being used," Trixi replied.

"I'll turn it on manually. Get everyone into the viewing room," Ianto replied, pulling off his tool belt and reaching for the protective goggles and coat that hung on the hook nearby.

"Ianto, you can't it's too risky!" Trixi said, reaching out and grabbing her friend's arm.

"50/50 chance, Trixi. I'd rather the odds were higher, but we've tested it on less before."

"Ianto, I know you want to finish it for her, but-,"

"Trixi, please, don't make me order you. You know I don't like to pull rank on you or Max, but…"  
Trixi and Ianto stared at each other for a moment, trying to make the other back down with sheer will alone. Max glanced between them before sighing in acceptance. Stepping forward he took Trixi's hand and gently tugged her from the room. Before he could pull her away, she pulled her hand free and threw her arms around Ianto in a tight hug.

"I'll be fine, Trixi; I promise. Now, get everything ready and everyone into the viewing room so we can start the test," Ianto said, pulling back and letting Max drag her from the room as he continued getting ready.

"Trial number twenty-four in five... four... three... two... one... trigger."

The minute the device was turned on, it sent a shockwave out with enough force to pick him and most of the equipment in the room up, slamming them into the surrounding walls. Once the wave had passed, the device short circuited and shut down.

Ianto lay on the floor, unable to move and in a fair amount of pain; his neck had broken on impact with the wall.

He could just about see Trixi, Max and the rest of his science team on the other side of the protective glass, calling his name as they waited anxiously for the security lock down to turn off so they could enter the lab and check on him. Apparently they'd been in the bad 50% still.

Hopefully by the time the lockdown wore off the Rask would have healed his injuries and he could fake being unconscious long enough for one of them to check he was alright and 'wake' him up. It should have worked this time but even though it hadn't, he knew what they had to do to make it work. Cathalin would have known straight off the bat. He wanted to finish it for her - in her memory - but it looked more and more like he was going to fail her again.

He missed her. He missed Jack; he wanted Jack there. He'd written to Jack after the accident and tried to call him several times over the past three months. Jack hadn't answered his letters and his phone just kept ringing. Perhaps it was for the best; he knew as soon as he was with his mate, his strength would break. At least if they were apart, he'd been able to deal with his grief. But he needed his mate and he wasn't sure why Jack wasn't speaking to him. He hadn't even answered his letter about taking Lizzy for the holidays. She'd been so upset that she hadn't been able to go. But, Ianto wasn't sure he could have handled being alone for a week, only a month after losing Cathalin.

Feeling the Rask nudging at the back of his mind, he knew they wanted him unconscious so they could finish healing his neck and whatever was causing the tearing ache in his temple.

_Damn, I hope Lizzy doesn't get too mad at me for missing dinner again._

With that last thought, he let the Rask do as they needed and let them drag him into unconsciousness.

* * *

Jack stepped into the house later that night, soaked to the bone. He'd left Lizzy with his car, a top of the line model able to self drive itself over short distances one properly programmed, so she could get to his place. He couldn't borrow the work car, or have one of the others drop him off, since the team was still out on when he'd left. The only thing dry on his was dinner, which was tucked away safely in the waterproof shopping bag in his hand.

"Lizzy, I'm home!" Jack called as he pulled off his coat and boots, leaving them in their customary place by the front door.

"We're in here, Jack."

Jack stopped what he was doing in surprise; that wasn't Lizzy's voice.

"Arabella?" Jack asked, walking into the lounge room to find his old friend sitting on the couch running her fingers soothingly through Lizzy's hair. His niece was lying with her head in Arabella's lap, her eyes red and swollen from crying.

Jack was on his knees beside the couch in an instant, and it took Lizzy only a second longer to throw herself into his arms as a new round of tears started.

Jack rocked the fifteen year old in her arms. Whatever it was that had been bothering her earlier that day had forced its way to the surface, Jack just wished he'd been there for her when it had happened. Taking his eyes off Lizzy for a second, he glanced up at Arabella in worry, but her eyes were on the kitchen doorway where Dexter was.

"What's going on? Lizzy, what is it? What's happened?" Jack asked softly, still rocking her in his arms; but the only response he got was more tears.

"Bella?" Jack asked, looking up at the worried woman.

"Why didn't you tell us about Cathalin's accident?" Arabella asked quietly. Although it wasn't quietly enough, as Lizzy began trembling in reaction to the question.

"What accident?" Jack mouthed, not wanting to upset Lizzy further.

"You didn't know either?" Dexter asked, watching as Jack shook his head.

"I sent you an email; and I'm sure Tad did as well. You didn't get either of them?" Lizzy asked sadly, pulling herself up and curling her legs beneath her so she was sitting beside Jack, but still tucked into his side.

Jack shook his head. "What happened?"

"A few months ago an asteroid hit. Somehow it slipped through the defence screen. It smashed right through the dome. The atmospheric system sealed off the corridor automatically to protect the rest of the colony." Jack pulled Lizzy close as she told the story.

"It took the rescue team ten minutes to get in; three people died from the impact, nine people died of asphyxiation, and five somehow survived. The colony was locked down and it was impossible to officially find out what had happened or who had died. The corridor that had been damaged was both a main access route, but also contained the communication circuits, which had been damaged by the impact. The only way to find anything out was by word of mouth, and that wasn't reliable."

Lizzy was trembling; her voice flat from the amount of control she was using to stop the crying and Jack gently began to rock her again, wishing he could ease her pain as his mind began to work out what had happened.

"Three days after the accident, they reconnected the corridor and released the survivors from the medical wing. I waited at the house to hear anything. Marcus came and stayed with me as soon as he found out Mam and Tad were missing. We just sat there in the lounge, waiting and then the front door opened. Tad walked in alone, looking like his world had ended. He'd been one of the survivors. Mum was one of the three that… that..." she broke off, unable to finish her sentence.

"Oh, Lizzy, I'm so sorry. I wish I'd known. I would have been there in an instant for you and your tad," Jack said, barely managing to hold back his own tears as he held her close.

Arabella had moved over and was running her hand over Lizzy's hair to try and sooth her, as Dexter hovered nearby protectively. "I'll fix this, Lizzy. I promise," Jack whispered.

"Will you help Tad? He's not eating properly, he's not sleeping, he's obsessed with finishing their project..." Jack winced, of course Ianto would be obsessed with the project; he and Cathalin had been working on creating a large scale force shield to protect the moon colony. Had it been finished and already installed, Cathalin might still be alive.

"I'll help him, I promise. But, right now, I'm going to help him by taking care of you," Jack whispered, shifting so he could pick the exhausted girl up and carried her up to her room, just like he used to when she was little and fell asleep in front of the TV.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

* * *

Jack slumped into his armchair, letting his head flop back. He was both mentally and emotionally exhausted. Lizzy had cried soundlessly into his arms for another half an hour, before she'd finally fallen asleep. Like her father, when her well-placed damn eventually broke, it was all Jack could do to hold on and see it through.

"When was the last time you talked to Ianto?" Arabella asked, standing over Jack with her arms crossed. It wasn't hard to see she was agitated about something and Dexter moved to pour himself a drink; he was going to need it for the impending fight.

"I don't know. A while ago I guess," Jack replied, eyes still closed and head still back.

"A while? Think, Jack. When was it?" Arabella retorted with an annoyed huff.

"January, I guess," Jack said, opening his eyes at her tone; his frown deepening as he took in her position above him.

"January? You've not heard from him since January?" Arabella began to pace. In the background, Dexter sighed, rubbing his temples and taking a long sip of his drink.

"I just figured he was busy. I've seen the reports from the project and it's almost finished. I've been busy as well, so we've just lost contact. I sent him a few letters, but I didn't get a response and he never answers his phone," Jack growled back not liking the implication behind Arabella's words. It may seem like he was just being a useless mate but he wasn't; he had his reasons and, when it came down to it, he didn't think they were anyone elses business.

"You didn't find the fact that your mate hasn't contacted you in four months a little odd?" Arabella snorted.

"Of course I did! But, what do you want me to do? Fly up there and demand answers?" Jack snapped, standing up and facing Arabella, automatically using his height and build as an intimidator.

Arabella wasn't fazed. "Why not!" They were now nose to nose as they argued with each other.

"He's not a child and I don't own him. I won't go and make a fool of us both. He has a wife, a job and a family up there; I'm not going to go and cause problems for him by storming in like a jealous lover."

"He has a mate down here, too. You still should have called him."

"Have you heard from him, either?" Jack demanded.

"He's not my mate," Arabella retorted, an annoying smugness in her voice.

"No, he's mine; and I know him better than you do."

Arabella raised an eyebrow and scoffed, shaking her head. "Doesn't seem like it to me."

"What does that mean?" Jack snapped, folding his arms across his chest as he glared at her.

She paused for a moment, before changing tactics and asking, "When has he - no matter how busy he is -, not answered your messages?"

Jack paused, stubbornly trying to think of just one instance but he couldn't. Arabella was right; Ianto always answered him. Jack's anger began to lose momentum as the circumstances began to sink in.

"When Lizzy didn't come to visit last time, I thought Cathalin might have been in one of her 'I hate Jack' moods again. I thought that might have been a reason why he hadn't contacted me."

"She's dead, Jack!" Arabella instantly defended her, Cathalin may have had a problem with Jack, but she and Arabella had become easy friends. Arabella was holding herself together for the moment, but later curled in Dexter's arms she would allow herself to grieve yet another lost friend.

"I didn't know. He didn't even tell me." Jack's reply was empty and hurt, with almost no trace left of his previous anger.

"Oh, Jack, you know he would have," Arabella sighed, reaching a hand up to rest on his arm only to have Jack step back out of her reach..

"But, he didn't, did he?" Jack snapped dejectedly.

Dexter watched the two from his position in the doorway. Seeing that they had come to a 'cease fire', he figured it was safe to join the conversation again. "Now, you two have both finished screaming at each other like a married couple, can we get back to thinking rationally?"

Jack and Arabella both had the grace to look a little shamed as they both nodded, urging Dexter to continue.

"Nothing about this situation sounds like Ianto. You're one of the most powerful men on the planet; pull some strings and find out what's going on up there. I can think of no reason why he wouldn't tell you about Cathalin. In fact you would have been the first person he contacted," Dexter continued as he made his way over to sit on the empty couch.

"Lizzy did say that both she and Ianto had sent you letters," Arabella said to Jack, taking a seat beside her mate, smiling when he automatically wrapped an arm around her waist.

Jack's eyes flickered between the couple and he felt a pang of longing, which he firmly squashed. "I didn't get them, though."

"Why?" Dexter questioned. He was silent for a moment, before he mused, "I think someone doesn't want you to know what's going on up there." He'd seen the look of jealous flash across his friend's eyes, but he didn't want to make Jack feel uncomfortable so he didn't move away from Arabella or say anything.

"You think someone's been blocking my contact with Ianto?" Jack asked. At first it had unlikely, but as he thought about it, the concept became more plausible.

"Do you have a better explanation?" Dexter asked casually.

Jack didn't answer; he was already pulling his phone from his pocket and dialling.

* * *

Ianto walked out of the medical wing to find Trixi and Max waiting for him by the lifts. "Are you alright?" Trixi demanded, standing as soon as she saw him.

He pulled the young woman into a comforting hug. "I'm fine, Trixi. Just like always."

"You've got to stop doing this; your nine lives are going to run out soon," Max said.

"I'll always bounce back. You don't have to worry about me," Ianto replied with a sigh.

"Good to see you back on your feet," a new voice stated from behind them.

The trio turned to find the head of the scientific department standing a short distance away.

"Yes, Sir. Thank you, Sir," Ianto replied promptly, feeling Trixi and Max stiffen beside him. None of them liked their boss and none of them trusted him; there was just something about him that put them all on edge.

" Do you have any idea what went wrong in there, Davies?" their boss demanded, not bothering to even acknowledge Trixi and Max. All his attention was locked on Ianto as he waited for an answer.

"Yes, Sir, and I believe I can fix it," Ianto replied.

"Fix it?" he asked, his disbelief clear "Right now?"

"Yes, Sir. I know what it is that needs adjusting. The next time we work on it, I believe we'll have a success," Ianto confirmed, trying not to smile as Trixi gasped and shifted beside him, unable to contain her excitement at the news.

"Well, I suggest the three of you stop standing around talking and get back to work."

"But, Sir, he's only just been released from the medical wing," Trixi protested and their boss finally spared her an annoyed glance.

"The medical staff cleared him with a full bill of health; the only thing they found were a few bruises. There's nothing to stop him getting back to work."

Trixi, Max and Ianto stared at him in disbelief; not only had Ianto just been released but it was well past the end of the work day. "Sir, I apologise but I need to be getting home to my daughter. She..."

"Your daughter isn't home; she skipped off to the planet. Using an alias for that matter - she's going to be trouble that one. You should keep a closer eye on her." Ianto ground his teeth in annoyance at being lectured about raising his daughter by a man who had no children on his own.

"I'm sorry, Sir. If that's the case, I need to make sure she's okay and find out where she's gotten to," Ianto replied, moving to step around his boss but the larger man stepped into his path.

"The colony security have already looked into the matter. She was picked up by - and is staying with - a Captain Jack Harkness. I believe he's an acquaintance of yours, is he not?"

"Yes, Sir, he's a good friend," Ianto replied, relief obvious in his voice. If she was with Jack she was safe; but it still didn't explain why she'd left in the first place.

"Then, you have nothing to worry about; I imagine he'll be taking good care of your daughter."

"I'd still like to contact them and make sure she's alright, Sir," Ianto countered, unable to believe what he was hearing.

"You can contact them when you've completed your job. And unless you want to find yourself both jobless and homeless - since you're living in the science division's staff apartment - I suggest you get to work."

"Yes, Sir." Ianto muttered in irritation turning back to his work, determined to get it finished so he could call Jack.

"I can't believe he wouldn't let you even ring and find out about Lizzy," Trixi said as she held a small torch for Ianto to see what he was working on.

"There's probably a rule somewhere that says he can't stop you, you know," Max added from his computer where he was watching the scanner's readout.

"If she's with Jack I know she's safe; he would have called me if anything was wrong. We'll get this finished, then I can go home and ring them," Ianto said, continuing to make the small modification needed to the panel in front of him.

"We'd be getting this done a lot faster if he hadn't sent home all the junior staff," Max muttered.

"Have you got somewhere else you need to be? A date perhaps?" Trixi snorted, glaring at the other scientist and Ianto couldn't help but chuckle at the pair.

"If I had a date you'd know about it, since you'd have one as well, wouldn't you? No, I was just looking forward to a nice night in like we'd planned and you'd promised to make me pasta; you know how much I love your pasta," Max replied with a overdramatic sigh.

"It is really good," Ianto interjected with a nod of his head.

"Can we just get this over with, then?" Trixi replied and Ianto could just imagine the eye roll that went with the statement.

"Just one last... There... Max, how does that look?" Ianto asked, sitting up.

"It looks... perfect."

"Let's test the machine, then," Ianto grinned.

* * *

Slipping silently and unnoticed into the lab, he paused to look through the small viewing window near him. There, in the middle of the testing room, was the device; sitting in front of him with a pale blue force shield around it.

Commander Davies and his companions had done it. They'd successfully finished the device. Which would explain why they were currently drinking champagne and making a toast in honour of Davies' deceased wife.

Now, he had his own task to complete.

Pulling his pistol from under his jacket, he advanced on the unsuspecting trio.

* * *

"Lizzy? Come on, Kiddo, I need you to wake up," Jack said, gently shaking Lizzy's shoulder.

"Uncle Jack?" she asked, groggily rolling over to find him perched on the edge of her bed.

"Lizzy, do you know who Malcom Brig is?" Jack asked, brushing the hair out of her face as she sleepily rubbed her eyes.

"Mr Brig? Mr Brig is Tad and Ma... He's Tad's boss," Lizzy replied, frowning at the sigh she got from Jack in reply.

"Okay, Kid; I'm sorry I woke you up. Go back to sleep and Arabella will explain everything in the morning," Jack said with a smile, hoping that Lizzy was still too sleepy to wonder what he was talking about, or pick up on the fact that Arabella would be the one explaining because Jack wasn't planning on being there when she woke up.

Of course, he had no such luck.

"Where are you going?" Lizzy asked, sitting up so she could look Jack in the eye.

"I'm going to fix things," Jack replied, standing and moving towards the door.

"You're not going to help Tad without me," Lizzy muttered and Jack could hear the sound of cloth moving as she started to climb out of bed.

"Lizzy..." Jack sighed, turning back to face his niece.

"Why did you want to know who Mr Brig is?" Lizzy demanded, her arms folded across his chest. She probably would have pulled off quite an intimidating look had it not been for the pink nightie she was wearing.

"He's the one who's been blocking communications between us, " Jack explained, wondering whether there was any way to escape what he knew was coming.

"I want to come; I can help. I know Tad's work and the people there. Plus I can recite all the access codes from memory," she stated, a pleased tone in her voice.

Jack studied the young woman before him, wondering when she'd grown up. He knew that he wasn't going to get out of it. If he went without her, he knew she'd pull the same kind of stunt she'd done to get to Jack in the first place. And, at least, if she was with him, Jack knew he'd have more chance of protecting her. "You are way too much like your father. Hurry up and get ready, or we'll miss our flight."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

* * *

"Ca... Captain Harkness! What brings you up to our base, Sir?"

Jack smirked in amusement as the young soldier quickly snapped to attention. He could hear Lizzy muffling her giggles behind him. He'd never been to Ianto's work before, yet his reputation was enough to freak out member of the lower ranks. "I've come to see how the CFS project has progressed. Her Majesty is curious to see whether the UN's money has been spent wisely," Jack recited the lie he'd been working on all the way to the moon.

"Oh, of course it has, Sir. Just last night the project was successfully tested. Unfortunately, though..."

"Tad did it?" Lizzy asked excitedly, unable to stop herself and the soldier blinked in surprise, only just noticing her stood beside Jack.

"Miss Davies! I'm sorry, I didn't see you there. I was told to report to Mr Brig if I see you," he said, reaching for his radio only to have Jack stop him with a firm hand on his wrist. He didn't trust Brig; especially if he was the one who'd been blocking their communications.

"I don't think that's necessary," Jack said in what Ianto called his 'Captain Voice'.

"I'm... I'm sorry, Sir, but her father is... unavailable at the moment, so she falls under Mr Brig's care."

"Since when?" Lizzy demanded, not liking the idea any more than Jack did.

"I believe it is company policy that if anything happened - meaning the parents couldn't be contacted - the parent's superior is able to take responsibility for any children, if there are no other relatives on base."

"Well, calling Mr Brig is unnecessary. I'm here, and quite capable of taking care of my niece," Jack smirked, watching as the soldier faltered when Jack took Lizzy's hand in his.

"Your niece, Sir?" he asked, sounding as though he didn't believe a word Jack was saying.

"Yes. Would you like me to provide appropriate paperwork?" Jack asked, glaring at him.

"No, I believe you, Sir," he quickly replied, snapping back to attention. "Good. Now, I suggest you point me in the direction of Commander Davies," Jack replied, continuing to stare the man down as Lizzy watched on in amusement.

"But, Sir..." he said, eyeing Lizzy cautiously.

"Now, Lieutenant!" Jack snapped; he'd had enough and he wanted to see Ianto immediately.

"Floor four, room twelve, Sir."

Jack felt Lizzy's hand tighten around his and she went completely stiff beside him. Jack wasn't sure what was wrong and he wasn't going to ask her in front of the soldier, so he rubbed his thumbs across the back of her hand and squeezed it gently in comfort.

"Remember, not a word to Brig. I'll visit him when I'm ready to," Jack said, saluting and walking towards the lift, taking Lizzy with him and not looking back.

Once they were safely in the lift and on their own, Jack turned to look at his niece. "Lizzy, what is it? Are you okay?"

Lizzy shook her head as tears prickled at the corner of her eyes. "Tad's office is on level six; the labs are on sub level three and..." She sniffled. "Uncle Jack, level four is the medical wing."

Jack pulled Lizzy into his arms as a few tears began to slide down her face. "Shh," he whispered. "It might not be your tad; maybe something happened to one of his staff and he's just watching over them."

When the elevator came to a stop, he wiped Lizzy's eyes and pressed a kiss to her forehead. Then, with Jack's resolve set, they made their way to the medical bay.

* * *

Jack stared down at the unconscious form of his mate. Ianto was surrounded by beeping machines and he look positively ashen against the white sheets he was lying on; and it was all Jack could do to resist the urge to go to him. Once Lizzy had been out of earshot, the receptionist had told him about the attack at Ianto's lab. The other two scientists on his team were dead - execution shots to the back of the head. Ianto, however, was a 'miracle' as far as they were concerned. He was still alive, despite being shot seven times; six across his chest and one through his neck severing his spinal cord and shattering the vertebra that had protected it. They didn't know why he'd been shot so many more times than the others, or how he'd survived. But they weren't expecting him to make it through the night.

Jack knew exactly why his mate had been shot so many times; Ianto had fought back. He also knew that he would recover as soon as he had the right treatment and a lot of blood. Jack had charmed the receptionist into letting them wait with Ianto while she fetched the doctor.

Jack felt their bond buzzing loudly in the back of his mind; the same way it did every time they saw each other after being apart for a long period of time. Both of them wanted that to reconnect. But, he had to stay back for the moment; Lizzy didn't know about them and it was Ianto's place to tell his daughter, not Jack's. He knew that if he went to Ianto, he would find it hard to act like the best friend he was supposed to be, when he wanted nothing more than to curl up beside his mate while he healed. The emotions that came with reconnecting were too strong to resist.

If they were both living on Earth, they would still be close enough that their bond was connected. Even if they weren't close enough to talk to each other, they would still be able to feel echoes of strong emotion from the other. The moon colony was too far away and their bond fell dormant when they were on different planets. The only thing they could feel, was that the other was alive, but nothing more. When they visited and saw each other, they always managed to find a way to steal some time together, so they could reconnect in privacy. But, Jack knew that there was no way Jack was going to be able to get Lizzy away from her father's side.

Lizzy was sitting beside Ianto on the bed, holding his hand and talking to him; telling him that she was sorry for running off and that she'd brought him back a gift. The whole thing made Jack's heart ache. He just wanted to bundle them both up and take them home, where he could take care of them.

Hearing movement behind them, Jack turned to find a nurse hovering nervously in the doorway. "Can you call his doctor, please? I'd like to speak to him," Jack asked curtly.

"I'm sorry, Sir. Unless you're his Alpha next of kin, I'm afraid I can't do that," the nurse replied, squaring her shoulders as if preparing for a fight.

"I am his Alpha kin," Jack replied simply, not taking his eyes off the nurse; he knew Lizzy would be looking at him with shock and confusion at his announcement.

"If you are, then perhaps you can supply us with the password to unlock the sealed section of his medical records?" she challenged, passing him her medical PDA.

Jack resisted the urge to roll his eyes as he took the PDA and entered the correct password, and handed it back to her. Jack watched as she read the screen and her eyes widened in surprise at the information she found. Her gaze flicked to where Ianto was lying in his bed, before turning back to Jack. "I'll go and fetch him for you," she whispered, turning and dashing out of the room as quickly as she could.

Jack sighed and turned back to Lizzy who was staring at him in surprise. "Why would Tad make you his Alpha kin?" she asked. "That gives you more of a say in his treatment than Mam had."

"Sorry, Kiddo. I've known your tad a long time, and there's some things about him and I that you don't know yet..."

The doctor bustled into the room with three nurses; each carrying an IV and blood bags. "Sorry to keep you waiting, Captain Harkness. Now that we have his records open, we'll begin treatment and have him back on his feet in no time."

"Thank you, Doctor..." Jack trailed off, hoping that the doctor would understand and supply him with a name.

"Simmons. I did suspect when I saw the sealed medical records that something was going on. My parents were Pirask mates. When Dad married a human woman he sealed his records and had Mum as his alpha kin."

"What are you saying, Doctor Simmons?" Lizzy asked in confusion, watching as the nurses hooked up the various IV's to her father. She wasn't stupid and while the Pirask population was still small and secluded enough that most people hadn't met them - or at least didn't realise they had - they still knew what a Pirask was. "That Tad's a Pirask?"

"Lizzy..." Jack began, but the hurt look in her eyes stopped him; he didn't know what to say to her.

"You're Mr Davies' daughter?" Simmons asked and Lizzy nodded in reply. "But she's not yours?" he asked, looking to Jack who shook his head.

Everything was becoming too much for Lizzy as she was faced with the secrets that made up her life. She was staring at Ianto with tears in her eyes and, when Jack reached out to comfort her, she jerked away from him as if he'd burnt her.

"Let me talk to her," Doctor Simmons suggested quietly, placing a hand on Jack's arm. Jack stared at the doctor for a moment, weighing up his options. Being the child of Pirask mates meant that he would understand their world from a child's perspective and Jack had to hope that it would help Lizzy.

With a sigh and a last, longing look back at his mate and niece, Jack nodded his head, slipping out of the room and into the hallway.

* * *

Ianto continued to listen to the conversations around him, hating that he couldn't move or say anything. He wanted nothing more than to reach out to his family. Lizzy was hurting and he wanted to pull her into her arms, tell her he loved her and explain about him and Jack. Jack… God, he wanted his connection with Jack back. He needed his mate; he needed to know why he'd stayed away, needed him to help him take that last step in mourning Cathalin - moving on.

His mind was buzzing with his need to reconnect with his nearby mate, but he had to trust that Jack knew what he was doing; there had to have been a reason for his distance. Ianto just hoped it was for a reason and wasn't just because Jack was mad at him for something. His body was humming as the blood he was being fed entered his system and it wasn't long before the Rask got to work on healing him once they had the fuel to work with. The bullet wounds to his torso would heal first; he also knew they would leave the wound to his spinal cord until last. It was easier to heal a patient who couldn't move, after all, and Ianto knew he was a horrible patient.

His sense of smell was as perfect as it had ever been and his hearing had almost completely returned, even if it was a little on the patchy side. Even though he couldn't move or feel her touch, he knew that Lizzy was sitting beside him and, if he knew his daughter, she'd be holding his hand as tightly as she could.

"Do you know about Pirask and their mates?" There was no reply from Lizzy so Ianto assumed she'd nodded as Simmons continued, "I've been told that when they find a mate it's like nothing else; sort of like the tales of finding a soul mate. They form bonds and live a very long time together."

"Dad and Uncle Jack are mates?" Lizzy asked. She sounded so hurt and confused and Ianto yearned to be able to comfort her.

"Yes. But when you're with someone for such a long time, sometimes you need a break from each other. That's when the Pirask choose to find another partner for a short period of time,"

"So Mam was to fill their boredom of each other?" Lizzy whispered and Ianto felt his heart shatter.

"No, Lizzy, of course not. Your tad loved your mother, and he loves Jack. You love both your tad and your mother, don't you? Loving one doesn't mean you can't love the other. "

"I suppose," Lizzy muttered, reluctance in her voice.

"So, why can't your tad love both your mam and Jack?" Simmons questioned gently and Ianto was so grateful to this man; a man, who didn't even know him, but understood and was kind enough to help Lizzy when he couldn't.

"Why lie to us, then? Why not tell us who he really was? Who Jack really was? Maybe Mam wouldn't have hated Jack being around so much."

"Your Mam didn't like Jack?" the doctor asked, sounding a little surprised at her statement. "Well, don't you think she would have hated him even more, knowing about the connection he had with your father? Pirask have rules and laws; most are studied in school but a vast majority aren't." Ianto listened as the man's voice moved around the room until it sounded like it was coming from closer to Lizzy; he presumed that the man was sitting in front of his daughter so he could look at her as they spoke.

"The ones about them being with other people who aren't Pirask," Lizzy responded, understanding starting to show in her voice. Ianto couldn't smell salt anymore which, thankfully, meant that she'd stopped crying.

"They're allowed to fall in love with - and marry humans - but they need to keep to a few rules. They can't tell them the truth without explicit permission. It would cause too many problems with relationships and legal complications, so they keep who they are a secret and their medical records are sealed to prevent the truth being found out by accident. Only their mate, or the head of the Coven has access to the password. Their mates are allowed to stay near them - it would be torture for both if they weren't - but they pretend to be a best friend, cousin or adopted sibling."

"Jack pretended to be Tad's best friend," Lizzy replied and Ianto was relieved to hear that she sounded a lot less upset than she had earlier.

"Which isn't a lie," the doctor said, a soothing tone in his voice. "I'd bet my life that they really are best friends."

"But, if Tad's a Pirask he wouldn't age; we would have noticed eventually that something was different."

Ianto heard Simmons sigh before he began to speak again, "The cost of having a relationship with a human is they can only have it for approximately twenty years. Even modern medicine can't hide that they're not aging and after twenty years, they have to file for divorce, or fake their own death. Most fake their death; it gives them as much time as possible with their partner and they don't have to cause fights that would warrant a divorce."

"He… He was going to leave us? What about me? Now that Mam's gone, what happens to me when his time runs out?" Lizzy asked desperately. Ianto could hear the upset return, smell her tears. Please, please know the final rule, Ianto thought, desperately hoping that the doctor wouldn't let him down at the let hurdle.

"Lizzy, Shhhh. Listen, even if your mam was still alive your tad would have come back to you. When the children of Pirask - even if only one parent is a Pirask - turn eighteen they are given the choice to be turned or not. Most turn it down like I did; choosing to settle down and live a normal life. But it's our right to be offered as their children. Without your mam around your tad probably would have asked to keep you with him and tell you early, but he won't leave you."

"How do you know?"

Simmons chuckled wryly. "I'm an old man, Ms Davies; I'll be sixty in a few months. I've watched both my Pirask parents find and leave human partners, I've met all my half siblings - I know how it works. The partners mourn their loss and move on, but the children never lose their Pirask parent for more than a year or so. Just until they come of age."

There was silence for a long moment and Ianto was starting to panic that something was wrong with his daughter, before he heard her whisper, "Thank you, Doctor Simmons."

"Are you okay now?" Simmons asked, his voice little louder than her. "Do you understand?"

"Yes," Lizzy replied, conviction in her voice and Ianto felt a swell of pride as he realised how bright and accepting she was. "I need to find Uncle Jack; I've got to tell him I'm sorry." Lizzy paused for a second, before asking, "Will you be here when I get back?"

"Yes, I'll be here until your tad wakes up."

Ianto listened as Lizzy made her way from the room, hearing the door close with a soft click behind her. Simmons moved around the room and Ianto imagined that he was checking the monitors; a series of beeps later confirmed that he had been right.

"She's a great kid, Commander Davies," Simmons said to Ianto's still figure. "I hope you don't mind that I explained things to her. You'll be back on your feet in no time and then you can take your family home and work things out."

_Thank you__,__ Doctor Simmons__.__Y__ou have no idea how much this means to me__,_ Ianto thought, mentally relaxing as much as he could while the Rask continued to heal him.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

* * *

Jack was pacing the hallway restlessly, the fingers of one hand tapping against his leg while the other was almost constantly running through his hair. Most people who walked passed had looked at him as though he was an escaped mental patient, but he didn't care. His mind was running a hundred miles an hour with about a billion questions at the forefront of his brain. Who had shot Ianto? Why assassinate a Science team? Would Lizzy ever speak to him again? What was Simmons saying to her in there? How long would it be until Ianto was fully healed? When would he be able to reconnect with his mate?

He was usually a lot better at processing that much information and questions at once, but the burning desire to reconnect with his mate was making it hard to think due to the headache it was causing.

"Uncle Jack?" a timid voice asked from behind him.

Immediately, Jack turned to see Lizzy standing in Ianto's doorway, watching him nervously.

"Lizzy, are you alright?" Jack asked, walking over and standing in front of her. "Lizzy?" he repeated when she didn't say anything.

"I'm sorry, Uncle Jack," Lizzy she eventually whispered, sighing heavily.

"You've got nothing to be sorry for," Jack argued, shaking his head. He slowly reached out and placed a hand under her chin, tipping her head back so he could look her in the eyes.

"But I am," she stated, stepping forward and wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug.

* * *

Doctor Simmons looked up as one of the nurses walked into the room with some more bags of blood. He'd expected it to be Jack and Lizzy, it had been a while since the girl had left and he wondered briefly where they'd gotten to.

"Doctor Simmons, Mr Brig called wanting to know the condition of the patient. I told him I'd speak to you and get back to him. What exactly would you like me to tell him? I'm not sure of the procedure when there's a sealed medical record involved," she said, handing him a bag before moving to change one of the others herself.

"Don't tell him anything. I don't want Mr Davies' condition getting out. Someone tried to kill him and they succeeded in killing his team; we don't know who or why, so we keep his recovery a secret until he says otherwise," Simmons replied, finishing attaching the new blood bag.

"Yes, Sir. How is he doing, though?" the nurse asked sadly, looking down at their patient; he looked so young as he slept, even if his medical records said otherwise.

"It won't be long now before he's fully healed," the doctor replied thankfully.

* * *

Jack sat in the chair beside Ianto's bed as Lizzy sat on the other side. She was perched on the edge of the bed, holding Ianto's hand while Simmons hovered around, reading and taking down information every few minutes. Ianto's body was showing signs that he was almost healed. One was the small movements he would make, when Lizzy had sworn - he'd squeezed her hand to tell her off. Another sign was that Ianto had started talking in his sleep. He didn't make sense but there were words nevertheless the less.

Jack was scratching the back of his hand subconsciously where Lizzy couldn't see below the bed line. Simmons, however did notice, and walked over, grabbing Jack's hand and pulling it away, revealing the red skin, that had just started to bleed where he'd been scratching at it. "Enough," the doctor growled. "Why haven't you reconnected to Ianto yet?" he demanded, releasing Jack's hand and glaring at him.

"I didn't think it was best since Lizzy's only just found out. She should be able to talk to Ianto about this before she's faced with it," Jack shrugged, not looking at either of them.

"It's fine, Uncle Jack. But, if you want to wait, you can," Lizzy replied, giving Jack the chance to do what he wanted.

"It's painful for mates to be so close and to not reconnect their bond. It could be causing complications with Ianto's healing for all we know," Dr Simmons scowled and Lizzy turned to look at Jack, looking at him in alarm.

"It's not; I'm taking the brunt of the backlash for Ianto; he's not being affected," Jack growled back; he didn't like being accused of hurting Ianto, especially when he was doing everything he could not to. Simmons scowled deeper, before walking from the room, muttering something neither of them could hear under his breath.

Lizzy got up and moved around the bed so she could see what Jack was trying to keep hidden out of her sight. "Show me your hand, Uncle Jack," she stated when he wouldn't show her.

"Lizzy, I'm fine," Jack replied, giving her one of his best grins. He could tell that she wasn't fooled, thought; he presumed she could see the discomfort shining in his eyes.

Reaching down, she grabbed his wrist and, with a surprising show of strength, she pulled it where she could see. "Bloody Hell! That's not fine," she stated.

"And that's not language you should be using," Jack retorted weakly, running his other hand through his hand, trying desperately not to scratch it. He never did understand why the discomfort seemed to focus in one spot during situations like this.

"I'm going to get us both coffee," she stated. "It's not Tad's and it'll probably taste like dishwater, but it's better than nothing. Please, I want you to fix the bond between you and Tad - however you have to do that - before I get back."

Jack watched as Lizzy left the room without waiting for another word, before he turned to look at Ianto. "She's really something, Ianto," he whispered, pulling himself to his feet, hating the effort it took. Perching himself on the side of the bed, he leant forward and cupped Ianto's cheek, pressing a kiss to his lips.

The response from Ianto was immediate and Jack couldn't help grinning widely as he felt the other man's presence flow into his mind through their bond. _Jack, What took you so long__?_

_God__,__ I__'ve__ missed you__,__ Ianto._

_

* * *

I'm sorry about Cathalin__._

_It's been months__,__ but I still miss her. I'm never going to get used to mourning __people __I love._

_I'm still not used to it__.__B__ut you're always there to help me__,__ through. I'm sorry I wasn't there __for __you._

_I buried myself in work and taking care of Lizzy__.__ I had my memories of you to help me__,__ even if I couldn't talk to you._

_God__,__ Ianto__.__ I just..._

_I know__,__ Jack._

_Why didn't you answer my emails? _

_I emailed you every week__,__ but I never heard __anything __back. If I didn't have our bond to let me know __that __you were __still __alive__,__ I would have come down to __E__arth looking for you._

_We were being blocked from communicating with each other, emails, phone calls, video links, even paper mail. Nothing got through__,__ even though we were both trying._

_Why would someone block us?_

_I don't know__.__W__hen you're back on your feet__,__ we'll work it out._

_Together__._

_Yes, __t__ogether... with Lizzy_

_You, me and Lizzy._

* * *

Ianto stirred, his eyes flickering open sleepily as he took in the room around him. It didn't take long for his mind to wake up and he knew there was no chance of getting back to sleep. At some point, he and Jack had curled up in each other's arms, squeezing into his small bed as they slept, happy to be together again. Ianto rolled onto his back and Jack shifted in his sleep, moving so he was curled into Ianto's side with his head resting on the other man's chest. Ianto knew from experience that he would be asleep for a little while longer; reconnecting always took more out of Jack than it did him.

"I never thought I'd say this, but you two make quite a cute couple," a familiar voice commented from somewhere to his left.

Ianto turned his head and saw Lizzy sitting in a chair beside them, magazine open in her lap and a coffee balanced on the arm of her chair.

"Hey, Sweetie, are you okay?" Ianto asked, reaching a hand out for her. She took his hand and moved so she was perching on the small gap beside his hip.

"Am _**I**_ okay? I didn't have several bullet holes in me less than forty-eight hours ago," Lizzy stated.

Ianto's smile immediately faded and his eyes flickered past Lizzy to make sure there was no one else in the room. He really didn't feel like having an audience.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you about me or about Jack. I was going to tell you when you were eighteen, then all this happened and you had to find out from other people," Ianto said, squeezing her hand gently.

"I was shocked at first," she confessed. "It hurt as well, but I think I'm okay with it," Lizzy assured him, glancing down at Jack who was still sleeping.

"I could hear you talking to Doctor Simmons, you know?" Ianto asked curiously.

"You could hear us?" Lizzy asked in surprise, her cheeks colouring a little.

"My ears were one of the only things working at the time," Ianto replied, the corner of his mouth turning up in a smirk.

"He did help. Walking in to find the two of you curled up together when I'd only popped out for a coffee was a bit of a shock, but you looked so... right together. The look on your face was the same one you used to get when you looked at Mum. It's love and, seeing it in because of Uncle Jack just proved what Doctor Simmons said. You'll be with Uncle Jack for a very long time and none of us could replace him; just like he couldn't replaces us because you love us all."

"I'm so proud of you," Ianto whispered, tears shining in the corners of his eyes. "You've grown up to be such a wise, young woman," he complimented, watching as she blushed deeper, reminding him briefly of her mother when they'd first met.

"I've had time to think since I found out. I rang Uncle Dexter and talked some more to Dr Simmons. You and Uncle Jack have been curled up together for the better part of three hours. Did you know you both talk in your sleep?" she smirked.

"Three hours?" Ianto repeated, his eyes widening in surprise.

Lizzy nodded. "Doctor Simmons thinks it was so long because you were still trying to heal as well as reconnect your bond."

"Ah..." Ianto murmured, before his brain caught up with what she'd said. "We talk in our sleep?" he asked cautiously, nervously wondering what they could have said and whether he'd managed to mentally scar his daughter.

"Nothing embarrassing; just the odd word and few pet names, I think," Lizzy smirked and her tad pinched the bridge of his nose, muttering something uncomplimentary to himself in Welsh.

"And you say that's nothing embarrassing," Ianto grumbled.

Lizzy looked up as Simmons poked his head in the door. Seeing that Ianto was awake, he gave a smile and a nod to Lizzy, before holding up his hands to indicate that he'd be back in ten minutes.

"How much longer is Uncle Jack going to need to sleep? Doctor Simmons is running out of excuses to give Mr Brig and he wants to know what Uncle Jack is planning to do with him."

"Why would Jack want anything to do with Mr Brig?" Ianto asked in confusion.

"He's the one who'd been blocking all the contact between us and Uncle Jack," Lizzy said, well aware of the shift in her tad's attitude as she watched him curiously.

"So he did that as well..." Ianto mused, trailing off.

"What else did he do?" Lizzy asked frowning.

"Nothing, just a work thing," Ianto said. "Can you help me get up without waking Jack?" he asked glancing down at Jack's still sleeping form.

"Should you really be getting up already?" Lizzy asked worriedly, pushing her confusion about Brig to the back of her mind as she began to untangle the bedding around them.

"The worse thing I'm suffering from at the moment in a numb arm," Ianto retorted, beginning to slide out from under Jack. He grinned as the older man murmured in his sleep and hugged Ianto's pillow, but otherwise didn't work up.

Finally free from the bedding, Lizzy wrapped her arms around her tad as he stood, making sure that he wasn't too unsteady on his feet.

"I'm fine, Lizzy," Ianto assured her, hugging her tightly.

"I was so worried about you," Lizzy whispered, tucking her head under Ianto's chin.

"You don't have to worry anymore; I'm going to make everything better for us, I promise," Ianto whispered, closing his eyes as he focused on releasing the right potency of his hunting pheromones.

"What do you mean? Tad... "

Ianto caught Lizzy as she passed out. Gathering her in his arms, he carefully laid her on the bed next to Jack. Making sure they were both comfortable, he quickly changed into his pants and, what looked like one of Jack's t-shirts.

He moved back to the bed and pressed a kiss to both their heads, before turning and silently slipping from the room; using his strength as he passed to damage the lock on the outside so the door could only be opened from inside.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

* * *

Ianto crept along the hallway, slipping into doorways or pulling himself up into the ceiling beams to avoid anyone who happened to come in his direction. The small perception filter that he'd stolen from Jack's coat pocket before leaving was tucked safely in his pocket, keeping him hidden from those who might have caught a glimpse of him as they passed, it was only a weak filter and not strong enough to hide him completely but it was enough to help.

When he reached the end of the hallway, he discovered that the lift was out of order and the stairs were too narrow to avoid bumping into someone, which would cancel out the perception filter and draw attention to himself. The doors to the lift were stuck open but tape covered the entrance. Peering down the shaft, Ianto could see the lift hanging several floors below; above the light coming in showed the other doors were propped open in the same way as the one he was looking through.

Slipping under the tape, Ianto balanced on the edge; gauging the distance, before jumping and grabbing hold of the ladder on the other side. Quickly climbing the ladder until he was level with the sixth floor, Ianto waited, listening to the sounds of voices and footsteps. As soon as it fell quiet, Ianto leapt; slipping through the open door and landing in a roll, coming to a stop in a crouch in the empty hallway.

As Ianto moved silently down the hall towards the offices, the noise level began to climb. There was definitely something going on.

The crowd surrounding Brig's office was a mix of scientists from various sectors and reporters. Brig was standing on a small podium at the front of the office, microphone in front of him as he announced and explained how _he _had had a major break through the night before and created a force shield strong - and large - enough to protect the base. He was taking credit for their hard work and showing no remorse, nor offering a word of sorrow, for the murdered scientists; the members of his staff that he'd pulled the trigger on.

* * *

Jack stirred as a pounding on the door forced him back into consciousness. There was a small frame lying against his side and Jack knew instantly that it wasn't Ianto. Cracking his eye open, he smiled when he saw Lizzy curled up as she slept beside him.

The pounding on the door continued, and Jack looked up to see Simmons' worried face peering through the window in the door.

Jack stared around the room in confusion. He and Lizzy had both been asleep, the door was clearly stuck with Simmons on the other side, and there was a smell in the air that Jack was all too familiar with - his mate's hunting pheromones.

Where was Ianto?

* * *

Brig sat at his desk with a glass of Champagne, watching the news report on 'his' accomplishment. It may have taken some dirty work, but he'd finally made it into the history books. Hearing a knock on the door, he muttered a few choice words under his breath. He'd told Megal not to let anyone disturb him.

"What?" he snapped, not turning to look at the door. He listened as the door opened and closed, but no one said anything. Sighing in annoyance, he turned around and froze in shock when he saw the sight before him.

"You're... You're supposed to be dead!" he spluttered.

"Surprise," Davies replied, his voice coming out in an odd growl that chilled Brig.

"Megal!" Brig yelled, leaping to his feet as he tried to put as much space between them as possible.

Davies was on him in an instant. Too fast to be humanly possible, Brigs found himself pinned against the wall behind his desk and hoisted a foot into the air. One of Davies' hands was fisted in his clothes, the other around his neck; squeezing enough to make him uncomfortable, but not cut off his air.

"There's no point yelling for Megal; she's having a nap at the moment," Davies replied and Brig briefly wondered what had happened to his secretary, before his mind returned to his own fate.

"Why did you do it? You killed two innocent people and tried to kill me. Why?" Davies hissed and Brig stared in shock into the fierce silver eyes glaring at him. He was a Pirask! He was a goddamn Pirask! That's why it had taken so many bullets to take him down. How had he not accounted for that? He wondered. All it would have taken was a silver bullet in the gun.

"Why?" Davies snarled, tightening his grip a little when Brig didn't answer him.

"You can't understand. My grandfather, my father, my brother; all famous scientists. I was the failure; but I wasn't going to stay that way," Brig wheezed around the tightening of Davies hand around his throat

"You killed them for the publicity!" Davies growled.

Brig gasped as he was thrown to the side, sliding along the shiny wooden floor. He came to a stop when he crashed against the wall, gasping as the air was knocked out of his lungs.

"We worked our ass off to finish that project. Cathalin worked on it til she died and we promised we'd finish it for her and make sure no one would ever lose someone the way we lost her."

Brig flinched when he saw Davies raise his fist.

Before he could bring his fist down, the door crashed open. "Ianto, stop!" Brig sighed in relief when Davies paused. He followed the other man's gaze and felt his hope die when he saw who had barged in.

Davies' closest friend, Captain Harkness, stood in the doorway with Davies' daughter, Lizzy. Harkness was holding her back as she stared at her father in shock.

"Why, Jack? After what he's done, he deserves so much more," Davies replied, not taking his eyes off him.

"He kept us from talking, Ianto; that's hardly worth beating him," Harkness said, trying to reason with him.

"He's the one, Jack; the one who shot me. He killed Max and Trixie," Davies explained and Brigs felt ice form in his stomach at the animal-like snarl that came from Harkness. Lizzy lunged at him, Harkness catching her before she got too close.

"Is that why you kept us apart? Because it was the only way Ianto would keep working?" Jack hissed, glaring down at Brig.

Brig didn't say anything, he just stared between the three furious figures in front of him. His fate wasn't looking good, and he knew it. With Megal unavailable there was a chance no one would find him as he'd already announced his need for privacy at the end of the press conference.

"Answer the question," Davies hissed, grabbing him once again by the front of his shirt.

"You were so determined to finish what Cathalin started; you swore you would do it the minute you walked out that medical wing. I've seen people in grief before. If I had let you call anyone - friends, family - they would have persuaded you to go somewhere to mourn and recover. I needed you here, working."

"You selfish bastard!" Lizzy snapped.

"Jack, take her out of here," Davies said voice cold as ice.

"Ianto..." Harkness said cautious and Brig knew his fate was not going to be pretty.

"Please, Cariad," Davies whispered pleading with the other man to understand.

Brig froze, hearing the endearment; suddenly things he'd seen between the two men in the past began to fall into place like puzzle pieces. Fear shot down his spine as he realised that, not only had he crossed a Pirask, but he'd also kept him from the man Brig suspected was his mate.

Throwing Davies one last look, Harkness forcefully pulled Lizzy from the room, letting the door fall closed behind.

Brig was away of Davies smirking at him, before blackness consumed as his fist finally connected with his jaw.

* * *

Ianto stepped out of the office, catching Lizzy as she flew into his arms. He caught a glimpse of tears on her cheeks, before he pulled her closer to his body. "It's all okay, baby. Everything is going to be okay," he repeated.

"Ianto?" Jack questioned softly and Ianto could hear the worry in his mate's voice.

"He's unconscious; the worse I did was break his nose," he assured him, locking eyes with Jack. Jack nodded in understanding, Ianto wouldn't really hurt him - even after everything he had done; all Ianto'd wanted was answers and the fastest way to get them had been to scare them out of Brig.

"I'll call the authorities; have him locked up where he belongs. The office probably has CCTV, so there should be all the evidence they need to lock him away," Jack said, pulling his phone out and dialling a number his knew by heart.

"I've never seen you like that," Lizzy whispered and Ianto felt a swell of dread at her words. Jack's presence wrapped around his mind soothingly; he'd missed that. Sending a wave of gratitude to his mate, he focused all his attention on his daughter.

"I know, baby; I'm sorry. I didn't mean for you to see me like that. But sometimes it's more important that I protect those I care about. Sometimes I can't be a nice guy," Ianto explained, rocking her softly as he spoke. Jack sent him another wave of support, before moving to the other side of the room as he finished his phone calls.

"I understand," Lizzy replied, burrowing her face even further into Ianto's shirt. He was relieved to feel the tension in her frame slowly melt away as they embraced.

"It's over now. Your uncle Jack and the police will deal with him; he won't be able to hurt us anymore and we can go back to normal," Ianto murmured reassuringly.

Lizzy snorted into his chest, one hard releasing Ianto's shirt long enough to point at Jack. The Captain was growling at someone over the phone; they could tell that he was trying to be as quiet as he could so he didn't disturb them. It was quite amusing to see.

"Well, almost back to normal," Ianto admitted, pressing a kiss to her head as she giggled.

Jack snapped his phone closed in annoyance and looked up, realising that he was being watched. He looked over at the pair and raised a curious eyebrow when he realised that he could sense his partner's amusement.

Ianto merely smiled back at him and, for the first time in months, he felt like everything was going to be okay.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

**Three Months Later.**

Ianto stared up at the large house in front of him. It had been almost twenty five years since he'd last lived there. He and Jack owned several houses across the United Kingdom; when they weren't using them, they were rented out to various Torchwood employees or family members. But the one before was their favourite. On the outskirts of Cardiff, it was close enough to Torchwood that Jack could get to work in an emergency, but far enough away from the hustle and bustle.

He hadn't been surprised that Jack had stayed in the house when Ianto had moved out; although, it was a lot of space for one person. He had hoped his mate would find someone for company - other than Lizzy when she visited and himself when he'd managed to slip down for a visit. Jack hadn't found anyone and, after everything that had happened, Ianto was eternally grateful for that, because it meant he could come home.

Once the truth had come out about Brig, Ianto had been swept up in a whirlwind of media, work and organising his exit from that life.

He'd planned Max and Trixi's funerals, given extra evidence and made sure Brig would be locked away for a very long time. Jack had managed to clear the communications networks and systems, removing all the blocks and diverts that had kept them from communicating. In the process, he'd found a large box of letters from each of them sitting in a post office in Kenya.

Dexter had turned up a month before and filed all the needed paperwork to change Ianto's name from Davies, back to Harkness-Jones. He'd organised new passports, legal documents to change Lizzy's name and Jack's adoption of her and the reinstatement of his and Jack's relationship in a legal sense; they'd worry about renewing their vows later.

It had taken him the better part of three months to install the shield they'd created. It had been amazing to see his and Cathalin's dream become a reality; he only wished she'd gotten to see it with her own eyes. Once it had been installed and checked half a dozen times, it had been a matter of working out his replacement as he'd also been doing Brig's job. Less than two days after the official completion of the installation, he had been on the earliest shuttle.

It had taken Jack and Lizzy a week to pack up the home that he and Cathalin had created, and the new owners had moved in three days after the last box had left. He knew most of the stuff had been placed in storage, but he hoped Lizzy had known what to keep out since he'd been too busy to help them. He hadn't seen either of them since the shuttle had left the moon eleven weeks before. He'd spent that time living out of a suitcase in a hotel near work. He missed them and was nervous about stepping through the door.

Carrying his suitcase through the gate, he made his way up the path to the front door where he found a note and key attached to the door knocker.

_**Doctor **__**Harkness-Jones,  
When you have finished standing in the cold procrastinating, we'll be inside waiting for you in front of the fire.  
Love**__**,**__**  
**__**Captain **__**Harkness-Jones  
and Lizzy! xxoo**_

Ianto chuckled at the note, slipping it into his pocket as he wondered when he had become so predictable. Then again it really didn't count if Jack was the one doing the predicting...

Slipping the key into the lock, he felt a wave of calm and relief at being home as he opened the door and stepped inside.

Leaving his suitcase by the door with his coat and his boots, Ianto peered through the doors and scanned the rooms as he made his way down the hall to the lounge.

The house was exactly as he remembered; the way he and Jack had decorated it. His Captain hadn't changed a thing. The only difference was the addition of a few trinkets of his, Cathalin's and Lizzy's. Ianto smiled; his daughter had known exactly which ones to keep. They fitted in seamlessly with his and Jack possessions as if they had always belonged there.

"Welcome home, gorgeous."

Ianto turned at the sound of the smooth American accent he loved, to find Jack leaning in the doorway holding two glasses, dressed in loose pants and a t-shirt. He was just what Ianto had needed to see. Placing the glasses on a nearby cabinet, Jack arrived in front of him in three steps and pulled him into a bruising kiss as they once again reconnected their bond. Ianto swayed a little but he stayed on his feet. The reunion was a lot less taxing than some of the other's they'd had in the past; there was no having to hold back and wait, no life and death situations. They'd been in regular contact - which always seemed to help - and both were happy and stress free for a change.

"Come sit," Jack whispered, pulling Ianto slowly into the lounge behind him. Jack sat on the couch, pulling Ianto down into his arms so the younger man had his back resting against his chest. _Missed You__._

_It's only been three months and I've talked to you every __other __day__,_ Ianto teased, taking a drink from his glass of blood.

_I know__; but I__ still missed you__,_Jack replied and Ianto could feel him shrug.

_You're getting __sappy __in your old age..._

_And you're not?_

Ianto mimicked Jack's action and shrugged, before quickly downing his drink. He was about to slip the glass out of sight when Jack stopped him.

"What are you doing?" he asked, reaching down beside the couch. Ianto heard the telltale noise of a glass bottle in their ice bucket, before Jack's hand reappeared and poured Ianto another drink.

"I was putting it out of sight so I can see Lizzy. Where is she, anyway? I half expected her to pounce on me the minute I opened the door," Ianto confessed, watching as Jack put the blood bottle down and picked up a bottle of champagne, pouring himself a drink before adding some to Ianto's blood.

"You don't need to hide it from her anymore, Ianto. She knows now," Jack gently reminded him.

Ianto sighed. "I know. It's just force of habit."

"I think she's feeling guilty about me having to hold out for so long before we reconnected last time. She wanted to give us a minute and, last time I checked she was on the phone, anyway. She might have actually missed your arrival entirely," Jack explained.

"Don't tell me she has a boyfriend already," Ianto groaned. "She's only been at that school for two months." Ianto groaned.

"No boyfriend," the Captain assured him. "But she has made a couple of friends who'll probably end up her best friends if things keep up," he added.

"Good. I was worried about her moving school so suddenly," Ianto confessed.

"She's doing fine, Yan. I'm sure she'll tell you all about it," Jack grinned, turning his head so he didn't yell in Ianto ear and called up stairs, "Lizzy! You might want to get down here!"

"Coming, Papa Jack!" came the bellowed reply.

"Papa Jack?" Ianto echoed, grinning at the obvious meaning behind the endearment. Lizzy had fully accepted Jack's new place in her life and that had been an enormous relief for Ianto. He had known that they wouldn't have a problem with her listening to Jack, since he had been taking care of Lizzy all her life. But, Ianto had been worried that she wouldn't be able to accept the move from favourite uncle to legal parent.

"Popped up about a month ago. I thought it might be a nice surprise for you to hear when you got home," Jack replied. Ianto didn't need their bond to know how happy Jack was about the development; the huge smile on his face gave it away.

At the sound of footstep coming down the stairs, both men looked up as Lizzy dashed into the room. It took her less than a second to spot Ianto and head towards him. "Tad!"

Jack just managed to move his legs before Lizzy landed on the couch and dropped into her tad's waiting arms. "I missed you, Tad."

"Missed you too, Kiddo," Ianto replied softly, hugging her as she settled down on the couch with him and Jack. "So, what have you been up to? That you haven't told me about on the vid link, anyway," Ianto asked, listening closely as she began to tell him about school and her new friends, just as Jack had predicted she would.

Sitting curled up in front of the fire with Jack and Lizzy, Ianto felt at peace. Jack's arm tightened around him in a brief hug as Ianto's feelings were echoed along their bond. It wouldn't last; they both knew that. Life wasn't meant to be smooth sailing all the time - particularly for them and their long lives.

Ianto still loved Cathalin and missed her greatly. But, on the couch, with his mate and daughter, he was happy. He was home.

* * *

FIN


End file.
